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Howard J. Menzies
Howard James ‘Ming’ Menzies was born in Manawar, Sovesta in 2479. The Menzies family moved to Homlinstag in 2489 where Howard’s father, Anthony became the local member for the Liberal Democrats in the 2491 election. In the 2497 election when Anthony Menzies was defeated in his re-election bid, Howard joined a youth group called the Young Nationalists, a youth branch of the up and coming National Socialist Vanuku Worker’s Party, lead by Edmund De Groot. Howard’s youth experiences with his Liberal Father gave him much motivation to change reform the Party while maintaining its Nationalists ideals. He rose to Vahama Young Nationalists Chairman in 2500 and in the 2501 election was one of only nine Party members to be elected to Federal Board. Menzies election success meant that he now only needed to compete for power with eight other members of the party and in 2504 when he was re-elected he carried his friend William Gibbs for east Homlinstag to the Board. With Gibbs and new found party ally Anthony D. Abbott Menzies began to realign the parties platform. In 2506 Menzies was among the few credited for the National Worker’s Party and the Bomotos Imperial Parties merger to create the Nationalists Imperial Party. The Party ran Edmund de Groot as there CEO nominee at the 2507 Election and fall well short. Menzies continued to make in roads with the party leadership and forged better alliances with the United Party. By the 2514 election the Parties of the Radical Nationalists, Nationalists Imperials and the United Parties had formed the Vanuku Nationalists Coalition and won the Chief Executive Officer under RNC leader Alfred Vehlon. The Imperial Nationalists won 14 seats around the country and Menzies became Finance Minister, pasting the first Budget in over 50 years. After the death of De Groot in May 2517 the party conference had Menzies just defeated by James C. Fuller for the Leadership of the party. He continued the ties with the RNC and the VNC until the next Party ballot in 2521 after months of right-wing attacks on the Liberal Democrats in power, Menzies was elected Party Chairman. The 2523 election was a shock for Menzies, gaining the Vanuku Nationalists coalition support for a liberal was hard enough but on the eve of the election the Radical Nationalists disbanded, leaving Menzies without a second round show in the Presidency race. During the 2520s Menzies began talks with the Liberal Democrats and by 2526 formed Government with them in under the Howard Administration. Menzies received the Finance Ministry and tired to update the Budget and Taxation system. Liberals and Conservatives within the Cabinet rebuffed the idea of change and haggled over amounts of improvements. After the next election in 2532 election the Nationalists members of the Cabinet walked out and fresh elections where called. Joint Peoples Party-Nationalists campaign paid off in 2534 after years of indecision Menzies was elected President. Menzies now had to form Government. Nationalists Senate leader Fuller made this difficult by calling the People’s Party members of the Senate ‘Old Fools’ which lead to a revolt against the Nationalists. The People’s Party now launch attacks back at the Nationalists and in Fort Bartlet massive street protests occurred between rival political groups, Nationalists, Liberal Democrats, and People’s Party supports clashed openly in the streets and Menzies chance of forming Government seemed to be slipping away. In August, after 5 weeks of uncontrollable Senate sessions and still some protests in the streets, The Liberal Democrats walked out of the Senate. LDP members believed this would mean a new election would be called, in November the People’s Party members also walked out of the Senate. Knowing a new election was in the wings. Menzies faced a collapses of the Senate. With no Cabinet positions and with many cabinet posts still vacant from Nationalists walk out on the Lyman Government, Menzies claimed emergency powers over most departments of Government. In January 2535 Menzies proceeded to meet with Foreign Head of State and left the running of Government at home to Jeffro Kennatt. Menzies was greeted with huge crowds on his return in April and preceded with a barnstorming trip around Vanuku drumming up support for his idea of the future. Crowds gathered everywhere for the President and Menzies continued to gain ground in the polls, at the expensive of the Senate, which now looked weak and unable to manage. He was joined by Tony Murchison of the Greens Party who support the President’s actions and gave Menzies even more grass roots support. In October Menzies announced moves within the Senate. He proposed bills tightening border and announced the introduction of National Service’s laws. All which passed the Senate (People’s Party and LDP members abstained), with the support of the Greens. He banned Foreign Investment in National Companies and called on Vanuk’s to Populate. In 2357 Menzies was re-elected President, VPP votes were ordered under electoral law to the Nationalists. Neither the LDP nor the CLC contested the Presidency. The next day after being sworn in for a second term, Menzies announced that he would form Government with the CLC.